Best Blog Recipes: Oh She Glows' Vegan Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

In this week's veg box update I mentioned a meal which involved possibly my favourite ever thing to do with pasta. We first had this meal back in June; a carbo-loaded meal ready for a half marathon fell run, and we were both utterly knocked sidewards by how tasty and simple the meal was. It literally took 15 minutes to prepare, and tasted better than any sauce-in-a-jar, or, dare I say it, better than any homemade tomato sauces I had ever made in the past!

When I first saw this recipe on the wonderful vegan-foodie blog Oh She Glows, I skimmed right past it, condemning it blindly to containing a vegan cream substitute or something similarly unlikely to be in my fridge. Added to that, I can't actually eat cream and, thanks to a few bad cream-related experiences, have developed quite a dislike for the stuff. So in all, Tomato Basil Cream Pasta was not something I'd jump straight for.

I don't remember what it was that made me read this recipe, but I do remember that I was instantly sold. Cashew nuts, garlic and tomatoes blended to create a sort of creamy pesto-esque pasta sauce? Yes please!

It honestly takes minutes to prepare, and can be whipped up while you wait for the pasta to cook. It's healthy, packed with protein and all the goodies that cashew nuts have to offer, and is perfect just mixed into pasta, as we initially tried it, or accompanied with vegetables. Last week I added some broad beans to the mix, and for a blissful half hour I tasted the summer all over again.

My only tip would be to use the best possible tomatoes - we used organic ones from the veg box and it was just supreme!